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Hello! I've been lurking here for a while, and have learnt so much from you all, so I've taken the plunge to join in for my big push to get debt free. I've been on this treadmill for some time (couple of poor decisions, some bad luck and just plain ignorance) and now I'm in my early 30s, I really want to clear my plate, and build a future. It seems like every time I get to within sniffing distance, I jeopardise it with something impulsive, so I'm determined not to do that this time.

My debt was £8619 in November 2017, which scared the life out of me! Since then, I've managed to clear nearly half of it, and luckily what is left is on 0% until Dec 2019. However, a recent job change means I have a bit less disposable income than I would like, so I need encouragement to keep squeezing my pennies where I can! I'll post my SOA in a moment - there's some bits I can target straight away, and I have plans to do some additional work in the new year, but I can always squeeze further! It's just me (and a cat ) to cater for, so we're happy to live on cheap and cheerful!

Ooh, like buses! I've just had another test through - waiting for it to be verified, but fingers crossed it's accepted and I'll be up to ~£10. I do get screened out of a lot of tests though, so don't expect to get another one for a while.

On the cleaner saving issue, have you discovered Stardrops? The Old-school thread is full of wonderful things that can save you money, but Stardrops has been my best discovery from there - diluted with warm water and a little white vinegar in a squeezy bottle for bathroom and kitchen cleaning, a capful or two for hard floors and neat for stubborn stains, scrubbing etc. I get it from Home Bargains for under £1 and it lasts ages - really recommend it.

Thanks for the Stardrops tip - I will give it a shot. I have to be quite careful about what I use with PD about (aka bleach lover ) but it's worth a try

NSD today , and planning one tomorrow too. The shop closest to work has run out of ice-lollies, so if they restock tomorrow, I may treat myself to a Calippo PD is having ice cubes in her water bowl as she's feeling the heat a bit more as she gets older, but is generally having a grand old time rolling around in sunny spots

Regarding PD and Stardrops - we have dog and cat and they both seem ok with it but of course PD may have afflictions that our moggy and mutt don't have.
It certainly saves a lot of faff having just one cleaning solution to buy - though I do buy toilet stuff too.

Just finished your diary and enjoyed reading it. You're doing a super job of debt busting and it will all be gone before you know it!

I'm looking forward to getting a cat when we move. I grew up with them and had forgotten how wonderfully mischievous, obstinate and stubborn they can be. Can't wait to have all that back soon. Keep the updates coming!

Good to know Joey! If she doesn't try to lick it then it will be a success, that's her only real affliction

That's very kind of you DrSpendLittle, thank you for stopping by! PD is getting on a bit now, but I wouldn't be without her, we're best buddies (not that I give her beer, it's just the most appropriate emoji!). Hope you get your own furry buddy soon

NSD today Not much else going on - it was a long day at work today, but worth it, as there are a couple of meetings tomorrow, and I'm happy I'm prepared for them now. Came home and two quick surveys appeared on PA, so that's another £1.45

CC payment went out today, so I'm now at £2,512 left to shift. I've paid off over £6,000 so far, about 70% of my original total

Numbers all going in the right direction, but I can't get complacent - I don't want to run the risk of thinking I've got this under control and taking my eye off the target. It's so easy to slip back into bad habits, and I can't afford to mindlessly spend as I have in the past.

Well done on the totals, I think you're right to be cautious but it's important too to give yourself a pat on the back for getting in control. Soon, maybe now, you can start thinking about what you're going to do differently once the debt is gone - all the things you can plan and prepare for, and do.

My plan at the moment is to essentially keep on going! I'm going to relax my budget by a little (<£50 per month) but concentrate on saving as much as I can. I have a couple of ISAs (with very little in them) but I want to build them up to begin with. I feel very precarious in my current situation, so I want to build a buffer to help me feel more secure.

The emergency fund is a little lower now (thanks to the HMRC bill earlier in the year) but yes, it's still pretty much intact. My first goal will be to boost it to 1200, as that's a month's expenses, and build from there

In addition to my beloved YNAB, I've still got my beloved spreadsheet which tracks the decreasing debt - it now has a new tab for when that's gone, so I can track the rise in savings

Had a look in the fridge tonight whilst meal-planning, and think I should be fine for groceries until Wednesday, so going to see if I can have NSDs until then.

Budget is tight for the next week as once the last couple of DDs go out, I'll have a grand total of £23 to last me However, it's not as bad as it seems - I've rejigged the meal plan and I won't have to shop until Thursday, and I'll get a top up of ~£10 from the user testing site by the weekend. Also, now GoT is over, I'll cancel n0w tv, so that's an extra £8 for next month

Made a culinary discovery tonight - I generally avoid stir-frys as if not done carefully, they can be quite expensive, and not particularly filling (unless you pack in the protein, which can lead to more expense!). Tonight I felt like I needed a good veggie meal, but also chucked a can of chickpeas in it - it made such a difference! Far more filling, and kept a good texture so it didn't all turn to mush. Topped with some ancient sesame seeds I found in the pantry, and I was pretty impressed (the bar is set pretty low!)

I've also roasted some with some new potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower for tomorrow (I like them with properly charred edges) with some crushed red pepper flakes and lots of black pepper - really tasty

Nothing else to report - at that point in the month where it's just riding it out to payday. I do have £3.73 in my purse, so giving myself a wee challenge to see how long that lasts. Might get a coffee later in the week

What a great job you are doing of getting that debt down. 70% gone is brilliant. Well done. Am so impressed how focused and disciplined you are. Keep going.

Early retired in December 2017

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BabyStepper - it was...fine, I think. I think they went a bit too ambitious with this series, and lost the way a little bit Unfortunately it coincided with a lot of hyped up people and superfans, so naturally there were going to be a lot of disappointed people! Personally I thought the final was a bit flat, but they obviously wanted to tie up as many loose ends as possible. Be interesting to see the comparison with the rest of the books when GRRM finishes them!

enthusiasticsaver- Thank you, that's very nice of you I think I've been very fortunate to be able to make such a dent so far, so I just need to keep going

On a related note - NSD today - that's 4 in a row Not sure I've done that before! Won't be 5 as will be spending a little tomorrow, but I think that's pretty good going. Also had my payout from the testing site - I've stuck it to my EF for now.

Jobs for tonight include giving YNAB a tweak for next month (there's one category behaving oddly) and find my polling card for tomorrow (I know you don't need it, but it makes life much easier!). Then some knitting and a bath - rock'n'roll, eh

As predicted, it was a spend day today (various items, including cat food and a coffee), so now on a NSD kick until payday

Been out to vote, and happy to see the polling station so busy. Our area always has a high turnout, so it was good to see lots of people out. There was a lovely selection of dogs tied up outside, so I had the added bonus of giving head scratches and rubs to the ones I know (just don't tell PD!)

Finally the weekend! Although I did come home to a hairball on the carpet, lovely...

My plan was to go and sit outside with a glass of wine, but there's a BBQ going on in our communal garden (shared between 12 flats) and I don't really want to be sociable ...so the sofa and PD it is

Not too much planned for the weekend - potentially meeting up with a friend at some point, and have taken some work home (but it will more likely sit in my bag til Monday ) and also have a couple of leads for job opportunities. I don't think I'm going to get the development or progression I was lead to believe I would get, so I do think it's time to start putting out some feelers. Just feeling a bit lost at the moment...but it might just be tiredness and end-of-week grumpiness

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